Hospital staff take colourful approach to Stroke Week

Staff members at a private hospital in Woy Woy took on a colourful approach to National Stroke Week earlier this September.

In an effort to drive home the message that being a stroke first responder is like being a superhero, staff at Brisbane Waters Private Hospital donned capes, masks and other superhero paraphernalia to promote National Stroke Week

They promoted a step-by-step guide to help everyday people determine if someone is having a stroke by paying attention to the face, arms, speech and time, abbreviated as FAST.

Early identification and treatment of a stroke can be vital to not only survival from the initial stroke but can also significantly impact a survivor's quality of life post stroke, said hospital chief executive Ms Kathy Beverley.

"Stroke kills more women then breast cancer and more men then prostate cancer but not many people know what signs to look out for," she said.

"Eighty per cent of strokes sufferers show at least one of the signs of stroke, so we're encouraging everyone to unleash their inner superhero and be a first responder when you see the signs of a stroke," she said.

SOURCE:

Social media, 2 Sep 2019

Kathy Beverley, Brisbane Waters Private Hospital